Rocketeer

Director: Joe Johnston Joe Johnston

Overview

One of the best cinematic comic book adaptations, The Rocketeer was supposed to be the summer of 1991's big hit, but the vastly entertaining movie didn't find a big audience. Thankfully, this Walt Disney DVD release gives the fun, exceedingly good-natured movie a proper showcase, and the film has built up a large fan base over the years. Expertly directed by Joe Johnston and shot by Hiro Narita, the DVD looks great in this widescreen letterboxed format, which also shows off James D. Bissel's extravagantly retro production design. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround audio track sounds robust coming out of a stereo system or out of a television set. This edition doesn't come with any worthy DVD extras, but a future edition is sure to point out The Rocketeer's many in-jokes and homages to classic Hollywood films, old rumors, and actual history.

Product Details

Release Date:	08/17/1999
UPC:	0717951003195
Original Release:	1991
Rating:	PG
Source:	Walt Disney Video
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:48:00

Special Features

Widescreen [2.35:1]; Dolby Surround; French language track; Theatrical trailer; Chapter search

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Bill Campbell	Cliff Secord,Actor
Jennifer Connelly	Jenny Blake
Alan Arkin	Peevy
Timothy Dalton	Neville Sinclair
Paul Sorvino	Eddie Valentine
Terry O'Quinn	Howard Hughes
Ed Lauter	Fitch
James Handy	Wooly
Tiny Ron	Lothar
Robert Guy Miranda	Spanish Johnny,Spanish Johnny
John Lavachielli	Rusty
Jon Polito	Bigelow
Eddie Jones	Malcolm
William Sanderson	Skeets
Don Pugsley	Goose
Nada Despotovich	Irma
Margo Martindale	Millie
America Martin	Patsy
Max Grodenchik	Wilmer
Michael Milhoan	Jeff
Daniel O'Shea	Mike
Joseph d'Angerio	Stevie
Clint Howard	Monk
Thomas J. Huff	Lenny,Lenny
Paul DeSouza	Pauly
Pat Crawford Brown	Mrs. Pye
Julian Barnes	Charlie
Sam Vincent	Filmstage Director
Lisa Pedersen	Noblewoman
Peter Bromilow	Nobleman
Tom Kindle	Clapperboy
Charlie Stavola	Assistant Director
William Boyett	Government Liaison
William Frankfather	Government Liaison
Heinrich James	Nazi Agent
Herman Poppe	Zeppelin Captain
Norbert Weisser	Zeppelin Pilot
Michael Francis Clarke	G-Man
Darryl Henriques	G-Man
Scanlon Gail	G-Man at Chaplin Field
Melora Hardin	South Seas Singer
Robert Leeman	W.C. Fields
Rick Overton	South Seas Patron
Gene Daily	Clark Gable
Richard Warlock	FBI Agent
Thomas Lee Tully	Reporter,Reporter
Mike Finneran	Reporter
Doug McGrath	Reporter
Dave Adams	Reporter
Arlee Reed	Cameraman
Kim Sebastian	Nurse
David Pressman	Hospital Guard
Lila Finn	Clothesline Lady
Perry Cook	Good Old Boy
Taylor Gilbert	Stewardess
Ele Keats	Girl at Newsstand
Danielle Bedau	Girl at Newsstand
Chance Michael Corbitt	Newspaper Kid
Robert Sandman	South Seas Bandleader
Lori Lynn Ross	South Seas Mermaid
Kathleen Michaels	South Seas Camera Girl
Merritt Yohnka	Nazi Crewman
Peter Frankland	Nazi Commando
Kristopher Logan	Nazi Commando
Paul Forsyth	Nazi Commando
Craig Hosking	Airshow Pilot
Steve Hinton	Airshow Pilot
Jim Franklin	Airshow Pilot
Richard T. Brickert	Airshow Pilot
Chuck Wentworth	Airshow Pilot
Bill Turner	Airshow Pilot
Joseph D'Angelo	Stevie
Bob Leeman	W.C. Fields
Bob Sandman	South Seas Bandleader
James Horner	Composer

Technical Credits

Danny Bilson

Paul De Meo

Joe Johnston	Director
Danny Bilson	Screenwriter
Paul De Meo	Screenwriter
Larry Franco	Executive Producer
Charles Gordon	Producer,Producer
Lloyd Levin	Producer
Seth Arnett	Stunts
Nancy Foy	Casting

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Side #1

Editorial Reviews

Like George Lucas, who later hired him to work on the Young Indiana Jones series, director Joe Johnson clearly loves the old Saturday morning serials, and also like Lucas, he prefers to avoid the campy tone with which such films are now made. The film tells the story of a young test pilot (Bill Campbell) who must fight to keep a rocket-powered backpack which allows human flight out of the hands of a Nazi spy (Timothy Dalton). Although it keeps the innocent spirit of the early serials, the film improves upon them in its writing and attention to detail, and naturally benefits from the vast improvement in the technology of special effects. Campbell seems an attractive but unusually blank performer, and Jennifer Connelly, in one of her early roles as his girlfriend, also has little more to do than look pretty. The action of the film is entertaining enough, especially for a very young audience.

All Movie Guide - Michael Costello